Victor Hedman’s game is starting to look like Victor Hedman again.
The Tampa Bay Lightning captain opened the season by doing the heavy lifting in his own end, but the offense has begun to catch up. After going scoreless through his first four games, Hedman has picked up four goals and two assists for six points over his last 10 games, a stretch that suggests the comeback season is gaining real traction.
The latest sign came Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, when Hedman scored his first power-play goal of the season in Tampa Bay’s win. One of his earlier goals also came in overtime, and both moments matter for a Lightning team trying to turn a weakness into something sturdier.
Over 14 games, Hedman’s production puts him on an 84-game pace of 24 goals and 36 points. That would be his lowest point total in a full season since 2010-11, but the goal total would set a career high. If you narrow the lens to his most recent run, the numbers get even louder: over the rest of that pace, he’d be headed toward 48 points, with 32 of them coming from goals.
That kind of goal rate is probably too aggressive to bank on for a full season. Hedman has reached 20 goals in a season only once.
Still, 48 points is well within reach, especially considering he posted 66 points just two seasons ago. Before 2025-26, his career average sat at 49 points per season.
The bigger point is simpler than the math. If Hedman is healthy and already showing he can produce, there’s not much reason to think he’s suddenly lost the ability to live near his usual standards. The scoring may eventually tilt back toward assists, but the overall output can still land where it usually does.
If he gets all the way back to form one season after the struggle, that would fit the profile of a Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy candidate. NHL.com defines the award as going "to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
His sportsmanship is already a given. The perseverance and dedication are showing up in the comeback itself.
In Other News...
Lightning Fans Suddenly Have A Kucherov Question They Never Expected
Nikita Kucherovs situation has put the Lightning in an unusual spot, even by the standards of a team that has spent years balancing star power, cap pressure and a win-now approach. His trade request, confirmed by agent Dan Milstein, lands against a backdrop of a franchise that has never been shy about making hard roster decisions, but also one that has continued to lean on Kucherov as a central piece of its on-ice success.
For Tampa Bay, the real intrigue is not just that a player of Kucherovs stature would want out, but what it could mean for a team that still has to manage the present while thinking about the next wave of moves. The Lightning have been built on a philosophy that prizes contention over comfort, and this latest twist adds another layer to the questions surrounding the roster, the front office and how long the current core can stay intact. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Want Dylan Larkin But Red Wings Fans Know The Catch
Andrei Vasilevskiys camp has offered a little stability for the Lightning at a time when roster questions can start to pile up quickly around a contender. His agent said the goaltender is happy in Tampa Bay, a reassuring note for a team that has built so much of its recent identity around elite play in net and the expectation that its core stays intact.
The timing matters because there has been some uncertainty around Nikita Kucherovs future, and any hint of movement around a star can ripple through the rest of the roster. For Tampa Bay, hearing confidence from Vasilevskiys side is the kind of backdrop that helps quiet the noise, even if the bigger picture still has one notable question hanging over it. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Vasilevskiy Closely
With the Lightning still sorting through front-office business, interim GM Shawn Horcoff has been handling trade talks involving Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson while also trying to strengthen his case for the permanent job. The challenge is obvious: he wants the best possible return, but the market has not exactly given him a long list of ideal partners, which can make every negotiation feel a little tighter than it should.
Amid all that roster maneuvering, Andrei Vasilevskiy has emerged as a reassuring subplot for Tampa Bay fans. His agent said the star goalie is happy with the Lightning and wants to finish his career in Tampa Bay, a reminder that even as contract chatter continues around teammate Nikita Kucherov, the franchise still has one of its most important pillars sounding firmly committed to the organization. [Read more 🡒]